Are Your Clothes Making You Sick?
With every form of industry slashing costs and utilizing potentially dangerous new manufacturing technologies in an attempt to monetize and reduce workload, many of these companies are putting your health at risk. Such is the case with the clothing industry according to new research, which asks the question as to whether or not your clothes may be making you sick.
Some corporations have begun embedding something known as antimicrobial compounds into a number of common products including toothpaste, hand soaps, and even items within the clothing industry. The antimicrobial compounds are added to kill germs and odors, which appears to be beneficial at first glance. The truth of the matter, however, is that scientists have found that these antimicrobial chemicals may actually be damaging your thyroid in addition to your hormonal system.
Triclosan, Nanoparticles Added to Clothing Pose Health & Environmental Risk
Furthermore, these antimicrobial compounds do not really pack a powerful anti-odor or anti-germ punch. In fact, the antimicrobials added into premium brand name clothing items are actually the same as washing with soap and water. These products are sometimes loaded with harsh antibacterial agents such as triclosan, and trichlorocarban.
Silver can also be used in nanoparticle form, which are tiny particles that can cross the blood-brain barrier. Prominent health professionals have warned against products containing nanoparticles due to the fact that the technology has never been thoroughly tested for effects on human health.
These two chemicals were found to begin washing out of the clothing quickly, and within around 10 washes half of the triclosan and triclocarban washed out. What this means is that the chemicals could easily be absorbed into your skin as a result of sweating or even from water touching the antimicrobial clothing.
Washed out chemicals can also negatively impact the environment after passing through water treatment plants, posing a risk to wildlife, humans, and the food supply. The Swedish Chemical Agency, where researchers conducted the tests, also warned that children could absorb the microbial compounds which could negatively impact their developing bodies.
How to Avoid These Products
Luckily, there are key indicators to look for that will help you avoid clothing loaded with antimicrobial compounds. Avoid homeware products and clothing marketed as anti-odor, antimicrobial, or antibacterial, and avoid personal care products that list triclosan or trichlorocarban on the ingredients label.
For optimum results, purchase 100% organic personal care products and clothing if possible. You can vote with your dollar, and you can deliver a message to companies adding health-threatening chemicals to their products by simply not buying them.
From an exec with a big name clothing company – words to the effect of –
You should put ANY new clothes that you buy through the washing machine (without) any powder or detergent at least once before you wear them. There is enough pre-detergent in newly manufactured clothing that putting one new item of clothing in with a load of dirty clothes is sufficient to wash the whole load clean without adding any detergent at all.
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Some actually put the advice on the label – Wash before Use, they just don't say why.
Great tip, and it's definitely true.
These clothes contain harsh chemicals and you should wash them or avoid these types.
Sirs,
I don't know why you poke the finger at silver, you have a misconception. It is one of the safest things going. Now if you had said aluminium crossing the blood brain barrier…. or barium or some heavy metals as found in energy saving light bulbs, tooth fillings, non stick pans or hundreds of contaminants of drinking water…
Silver is safe in its natural form… The article is talking about nanoparticles of silver (not a natural state for silver). The effects of nanoparticles of ANY substance/element has not been studied.
Yes that correct, as I understand it you could drink pure mercyry without effect but breath in mercury vapour and you will be dead in seconds! the point surely is that no proper research has been done on effects of nano particles which we are producing that have unknown unatural effects and properties!
Like in cold fusion, when you meddel with matter in this way, unexpected results happen, some deadly!
I always avoid these toxic clothes. Thank you!
As you are aware the toxins amassed in the human body over a lifetime resulted in the epa to say that a dead body need be treated in the same manner as toxic industrial waste.
It is my opinion that the obesity epidemic is the bodys self preservation kicking in a attempt to dilute these concentrations amassed within.
The larger the body mass results in decreasing the levels of toxins.
I was diagnosed with low thyroid and damage to my hormones mainly cortisol which made me very sick and now I am on medication how much of this was from manufacturers caring only for the bottom dollar and nothing for the people making them rich by buying their products?
To avoid the chemicals and the clammy feeling of clothing would be to go without them for a period each day and let your body naturally breathe. Take regular airbaths at home and brush your skin with a body brush before showering to remove the layer of dead skin that accumlates daily
Sewing rules. Make your own. Buy and store natural fabrics now before the UN outlaws them.